


A Sliver of Hope

by teddymclupin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Marauders, Wolfsbane, Wolfsbane Potion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 13:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15511299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teddymclupin/pseuds/teddymclupin
Summary: “Wolfsbane was discovered,” Sirius tried again. He folded part of the comforter down to reveal Remus’ face.At that, the boy’s eyes fluttered open. “Wolfsbane?” He looked up at Sirius and then at the paper in his hands. It was well known that the potion had been in the making for years, but the last time he had heard about it, the ingredients and dosage were still being studied.---After years of rumors about a miracle potion being made, Wolfsbane is finally declared the first potion to aid the symptoms of lycanthropy. While Remus' friends are optimistic it will allow Remus to live a somewhat normal life, Remus isn't so sure. He initially insists his hesitation around Wolfsbane stems from its price tag, his friends come to realize his reluctance to accept the potion is a lot more complicated than they anticipated.





	1. The Announcement of Wolfsbane's Discovery

“Remus!”

Up until that point, the house had been silent as Sirius got his breakfast ready in an early morning daze. He broke that silence with his shout followed by the noise of footsteps clambering up the stairs.

Sirius appeared in Remus’ bedroom, a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand.

“Remus!” he repeated, jumping onto the bed and making his way to the headboard. “There’s been a potion – I mean, there’s been a discovery!”

Remus was laying on his stomach, the fluffy duvet covering most of his body. The only visible parts of him were his socked feet at the end of the bed, and the crown of brown hair on the pillow. While March brought the promise of less snow, it was still freezing both outside and inside the house. That mixed with Remus’ late shift at the cafe the night before, meant that one would expect to find him under the covers until at least ten o’clock.

“Hmm?” was his response as he wiggled further under the blankets.

“Wolfsbane was discovered,” Sirius tried again. He folded part of the comforter down to reveal Remus’ face.

At that, the boy’s eyes fluttered open. “Wolfsbane?” He looked up at Sirius and then at the paper in his hands. It was well known that the potion had been in the making for years, but the last time he had heard about it, the ingredients and dosage were still being studied. 

Suddenly there was a loud crack from downstairs and a holler in a familiar voice.

“Remus! Sirius!” Lily called out.

“We’re up here!” Sirius replied, followed by the sounds of Lily climbing the stairs. Remus sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he tried to prepare for the girl’s arrival.

Lily appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a bathrobe. Her red hair spilled out of a messy braid and she too held a Daily Prophet in her hand.

“Did you see?” she asked, exasperated, eyes darting from Remus to Sirius before noticing the same newspaper in Sirius’ grasp.

“I haven’t actually.” Remus sniffled and leaned over to take the paper from Sirius. His tone was annoyed despite the good news. All he could register was that he had been awoken from a deep sleep, and that he was apparently the last person to read the article about the potion that could potentially impact his entire life.

Lily took a seat on the end of the bed, and she and Sirius shared anxious glances as Remus read through the article. 

While the news was positive, it wasn’t ideal. The article was tucked away in the back pages of the paper and only provided a few paragraphs of details. And while the article didn’t say much, it did mention the hefty price tag on the potion. It claimed the ingredients were rare and expensive, and the process of brewing the potion was advanced and tedious. Additionally, it was only being sold by its founder, Damocles, in Knockturn Alley.

Lily looked to Remus, who must have been rereading the article again and again. She knew it didn’t take him this long to read a few short paragraphs, so she took the moments of quietness to study him. He was wearing Sirius’ quidditch jumper from the one year Sirius played on the Gryffindor team. It was a bit short on Remus’ lanky arms, but it looked warm in the context of the chilly cottage. The dark circles under his eyes didn’t look any worse than normal, and his hair was messy but clean. It appeared that Sirius was doing a good job making sure the boy showered and slept and ate.

“Well,” Remus said when he was finished. He placed the newspaper down on his lap. His eyes avoided fully meeting the gaze of either of the two; he knew they were waiting with bated breath for his response. 

Frankly, he didn’t quite know how to respond. It wasn’t great news, but it wasn’t bad, was it? At the time being, the potion was too expensive for him to afford, and the article wasn’t very clear on how well it actually worked. All he knew was that he was feeling anxious over the whole thing. Of course, he knew that Sirius and Lily wanted him to be happy about the discovery, but how could he, when it would never be accessible to him?

“I think it’s great news.” Lily finally broke the silence in the room. She offered a smile, but even Sirius could tell it was a nervous one.

There was another crack downstairs; this time James’ voice called out for the three of them before making his way to the room.

“I left a note,” Lily whispered, explaining her husband’s arrival.

Soon enough James entered the room and plopped onto the bed which was now becoming crowded. He propped his head on his arm as he laid on his side.

“What’s the emergency?” he said, a genuine smile on his face as he looked at each person. He was clearly unaware of what the meeting was about.

“The Wolfsbane Potion was discovered,” Sirius responded, as Lily offered her Daily Prophet to him.

“That’s brilliant!” James smiled and looked to Remus before glancing down at the paper.

“It’s expensive. It’s nothing I could ever afford.” Remus shook his head as he folded Sirius’ copy of the Prophet. “And it doesn’t mention how well it works, so for all we know it could barely help.” He handed the newspaper back to Sirius and placed his hands in his lap, unsure of what to do next. He really wished everyone would get out of his bed so he could crawl under the covers and have a good cry. Part of him was upset, but he was mostly just feeling overwhelmed.

Sirius, sensing Remus’ edginess, put an arm around him and pulled him towards him. Remus sunk into the motion and closed his eyes.

The Potters exchanged worried looks. The effect of Ms. Lupin’s recent death on her son had been a topic of their discussions several times over the past few months, and they knew every additional disappointment weighed heavy on Remus. Before Sirius had moved in with him, it seemed he had been spiraling into a darkness, but as far as they knew Sirius had helped with that in the past few months. Despite this, they knew Remus was fragile and anything could throw him off again.

“The article really didn’t say much," Sirius said quietly, giving his boyfriend’s arm a comforting squeeze. "We should find out more about it before we decide it’s not an option, yeah?”

Remus sighed in a way that they all recognized as his signature way of disagreeing without  _actually_  disagreeing.

“I think we should celebrate.” Lily’s tone was still optimistic. “We should get drinks tonight. Even if the potion doesn’t work out now, it’s still a great moment in history. And it shows that people are out there trying to improve things for werewolves, right?”

There wasn’t much of a response from the boys.

“Have you got work tonight, Remus?” she asked, ignoring the heavy mood in the room.

“I’m off at seven,” Remus replied defeatedly. Once Lily made up her mind to cheer someone up, it would be happening, whether they liked it or not.

“Perfect, we can meet at the Leaky Cauldron at eight. James and I will send an owl to Peter, so he can meet us there.”

Sirius nodded and smiled despite Remus’ state. “Sounds good Lils.”

Unhappy with Remus’ response, Lily moved forward and pulled Remus into a hug. She held him tight with one arm, the other moving to his head to pet his hair. “This is a good thing, Remus. I’m happy for you.”

“I know, Lily. Thanks.” Remus said softly, giving Lily a squeeze.

She released him and kissed his cheek before getting up and offering a hand to James.

"You two can stay for coffee if you want," Sirius offered.

"Thanks, but we should probably get ready for work," Lily replied, looking to James.

“We’ll send that letter to Pete, okay?” James said, readjusting his slippers as he stood.

The two on the bed nodded before James and Lily each disapparated back home.

Silence fell over the home once more. In response, Sirius turned to Remus and offered his open arms for Remus to crawl into again. This time, Remus snuggled closer to him, laying his head on his chest. Sirius put a hand to Remus’ head to stroke his hair.

“I’m just disappointed is all,” Remus mumbled after several moments.

“I know. It wasn’t the news we were hoping for.” Sirius kissed his head. “Lily’s right though. It’s still a step forward.”

After Remus didn’t respond, he continued, “You up for tonight?”

“I suppose,” he said finally.

“We can leave early if you change your mind.”

Again, Remus didn’t reply. 

It had been easy for Remus to hide away at home when his mother had been sick. It was always his reason for excusing himself from social events, detaching himself from his friends in his solemn state. He didn’t have that excuse now with her gone and Sirius living with him. 

Of course, he was grateful for Sirius. He had pulled Remus out of the darkness that overtook him immediately after his mother’s death, but now with a routine forming again, Remus just wanted to fall back into the same sorrow he was feeling before.

Sirius placed another kiss on his head and Remus was reminded once again of the light Sirius was. He forced Remus to get out of bed every day, and eat something besides biscuits, and meet up with people every once in a while. When felt too defeated to shower, Sirius would pull him in during his own and would sing so loudly that Remus would have to cover his mouth with his hand to shut him up. Sirius brought home treats after work, and made funny jokes, and folded his laundry for him. He made Remus happy even when he didn’t have a real reason to be.

The couple stayed in bed for a while before they both had to get up. Work would keep them busy until that night, where they could finally suss out some of the details of the potion. Until then, they both knew that thoughts about the possibilities of the potion would weave complicated webs in their minds.


	2. Taking the Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, what do you think of the news?” Peter placed his folded hands onto the table, giving Remus his full attention.  
> “Well it’s progress isn’t it?” Remus replied, taking off his coat and hat and stuffing them in the corner next to him.  
> “Yeah, but it’s not perfect, right?”  
> “Not quite.”
> 
> \---   
> Remus is disappointed in the news that Wolfsbane would be too expensive for him to afford. His friends invite him out for drinks to try to lift his spirits and offer him a surprise, but whether Remus accepts their offer is another story.

Remus managed to muster up a smile when Lily greeted him at the Leaky Cauldron later that night.

All day he had thought about the discovery of the Wolfsbane potion and what it meant for him. He had cried for a short time that morning after Sirius had left for work. Since he was a boy, he had been dreaming about the day when Wolfsbanes would be discovered and all of his problems could be solved, and he could finally have a shot at a normal life. And the day finally came, just to be a disappointment. All of his hopes for what his life could be if there was an antidote for his condition were squashed at the news that the potion was too expensive to even consider buying.

After letting himself cry for a few minutes he was able to pull himself together and leave for work. While working, he came to the conclusion that the existence of the potion didn’t change much for him since it was so inaccessible. In fact, it helped him to think that it didn’t even exist, as it meant that his difficulties once a month were the same as always.

When he and Sirius entered the Leaky Cauldron, they were immediately greeted by Lily and James who were ordering drinks at the bar. With Sirius there to help James with the drinks, Lily led Remus away towards the booth Peter was saving. 

As they left the two boys, Sirius gave Remus a playful pat on the bum, which earned him an icy glare from Remus in return. They had only come out to James a few months before, and they still hadn’t revealed their relationship or sexualities to Peter, so it was safe to say that Remus was still uncomfortable with public displays of affection, especially when Peter was close by.

Sirius ignored the glare and responded with a wink before Lily pulled Remus away.

“No one saw,” she reassured him as they made their way through the crowded pub. “And besides, lads do that all the time.”

“Still,” Remus replied, stepping aside to avoid colliding with a drunk man with several full drinks in his hands. 

The pub was unusually crowded for a Tuesday evening, which only added to Remus’ uncomfortable feelings about the day. He wasn’t keen on loud, crowded spaces, especially when his friends’ attention would be on him. He was hoping they would all bow out after a drink together, knowing that everyone had work the next day, but he also knew that James and Lily could still avoid hangovers like they were sixteen. 

“Hey,” Peter greeted him as they approached the booth. Lily slid onto the bench next to Peter and Remus took the opposing side.

“Hey”

“So, what do you think of the news?” Peter placed his folded hands onto the table, giving Remus his full attention.

“Well it’s progress isn’t it?” Remus replied, taking off his coat and hat and stuffing them in the corner next to him.

“Yeah, but it’s not perfect, right?”

“Not quite.”

Peter sensed the edge in Remus’ voice and removed his hands from the table, placing them in his lap instead.

“I think it’s a huge step in the right direction,” Lily said, her optimistic mood still determined to keep Remus’ spirits up. “And I have a feeling the potion will become more accessible over time, just like… electricity or… telephones!”

“But magic folks don’t use telephones,” Peter replied after a beat. His brows were furrowed in confusion.

“I know Peter, but it was just an example,” Lily responded in an annoyed but hushed tone.

Before the conversation could continue, James and Sirius appeared next to the table with more drinks than there were people. They were both grinning as they placed the glasses on the table.

“I got you a Firewhiskey and Coke, because I figured you needed a real drink,” Sirius explained to Remus, taking his coat and scarf off and hanging them up. “And I got one for myself too, just because.” He and James exchanged smirks as he settled into his seat next to Remus.

Remus could instantly tell Sirius and James had taken a shot of Firewhiskey before they had sat down. The smell of the alcohol hung on Sirius’ breath, and Remus’ canine senses could easily identify it. Despite knowing that he didn’t want to haveone of  _those_ nights, Remus took a sip of his mixed drink. Sirius had also gotten them each Butterbeers, hinting that he wanted to make a night of it.

“I guess we should toast to Damocles?” Lily offered. The group nodded and held up their Butterbeers.

Sirius began the toast, holding his glass up higher than everyone else’s. “To Damocles and his newest discovery! And to his perseverance in finding a successful potion and his dedication towards the lycanthrope community, and to his –”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Remus interrupted, clinking his glass against Sirius’ and then the others to end the speech. They all shared a laugh and clinked their glasses as well. After making a face at Lily, Remus took a rather large gulp.

“And to Remus too,” Lily said, offering her glass up once more. They clinked again, except for Remus who kept his drink close to him. He found it awkward to cheer to himself, especially under the circumstances.

But Peter noticed his avoidance and leaned forward to touch their glasses together softly. Remus looked up at his friend who offered him a sincere smile.

He returned a sheepish smile and took another swig of the Butterbeer.

“So Lily and I were talking,” James began. He looked at Lily, then at Remus and Sirius before continuing. “And we decided that we’d like to chip in a significant amount of the proceeds towards getting you the potion, even if it’s just for one month.”

Remus opened his mouth to object, but James continued before he could begin.

“We know it’s expensive and we know you wouldn’t want us to pay for all of it, but Peter and Sirius said they would chip in too.”

Remus shot another glare at Sirius, mainly for not telling him about the plan. 

“I don’t think – We don’t even know what it does. I wouldn’t want you to put up so much money for something that may not even help,” Remus tried to reason with them. He hated being a charity case. He felt like one already, but to go a step further by buying him an expensive potion just to avoid one night of terror seemed unreasonable to Lupin.

“It helps keep your mind straight during transformations. I asked the potions research facilities during work today. They said it works well,” Lily said. She had an office job at the Ministry and could talk herself into any department for any reason.

“We just want you to have one good full,” James said, before Remus could cut in again. “And considering everything you’ve been through, you really deserve one.”

Remus didn’t know what he was hinting towards with that. Was it his mother’s recent passing? Or his difficult times finding work since graduating? Or was it the simple fact that he hadn’t had a “good full” since before he could spell his own name?

Unsure of what to say and feeling overwhelmed again, he grabbed his coat from beside him.

“I think I’d like to have a smoke outside, if you don’t mind,” he said to Sirius in a ‘please get out of my way’ sort of tone. He didn’t have to go outside to smoke. There were plenty of people smoking inside already, nevertheless he wanted to go outside and clear his thoughts and breath in some cold air.

Sirius obliged in silence, letting Remus out of the seat and pass him. After the remaining four exchanged worried glances, James stood up. 

“I’ll try to talk to him.” He grabbed his own jacket and tried to follow the path Remus had made as he left the pub.

He found Remus outside against the wall just outside the door, fumbling to pick a cigarette out of the pack in his hand.

“Hey,” he said as he approached his friend.

“Hey,” Remus replied, placing the cigarette to his mouth and attempting to light it with a muggle lighter. It was freezing out, and Remus was shaking just barely. It could have been the cold, but it just as easily could been his nerves.

“We didn’t mean to ambush you, you know?” James leaned against the wall to face Remus. The other boy faced the street as he managed to get the light to spark and was able to begin smoking.

“I know.” Remus exhaled a cloud of smoke. It certainly felt like an ambush though. The four of them feeling bad for him, pitying him together while Remus was left unaware of their plans. He felt like it happened a lot, and he hated the feeling. He didn’t want his friends to worry about him; his decisions and mental state were his own responsibility, not theirs.

“We all want this for you. And we want you to be happy again.”

At the last statement, Remus looked over at James. His friend was staring at him without a hint of a smirk on his face – a very rare sight to see.

Surely he had noticed the change in Remus this winter, but what moved Remus was the idea that his friends not just that noticed it, but wanted to help him get better. Unfortunately, Remus wasn’t sure the potion would actually change his feelings. He was afraid that even without the worry of his lycanthropy, he would still be sad. He dropped his cigarette onto the ground and let it burn out.

“I just don’t know if it will help.” Remus’ voice was small and quiet. 

All James could respond with was an embrace. It was the same hug he gave Remus when he told him he was werewolf, and when he found out his mother was sick, and when he revealed that he and Sirius were moving in together. It was the hug that meant that he cared for him and would be there for him no matter what.

“I think we should try,” James said finally, stepping out of the hug. “And if it doesn’t work that’s fine, but if it does we can look at our options, you know?” He left a hand on Remus’ shoulder. “Because if we could get the materials I’m sure the master potioneers Lily and Sirius could brew it.” James’ smile broke the tension of the conversation. 

“Alright,” Remus agreed, a tiny – yet genuine – smile also appearing on his face. 

James hand reached up and ruffled Remus’ hair.

“Now let’s go find those dorks and finish our drinks, yeah?” 

They went inside and James announced that he had convinced Remus to try the potion. Hoping to avoid making Remus feel any more uncomfortable, they simply smiled in response. For the rest of the night they steered away from discussing anything that focused too heavily on Remus. Instead, they talked about light topics such as quidditch and Alice and Frank’s recent engagement.

All in all, they were just happy that their friend had a sliver of hope to help him get through these difficult times.


	3. 'Moony's First Wolfsbane'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Lily stopped by at one in the afternoon the day after the full moon. Normally, they wouldn’t stop by unless it was to drop something off or to help with an especially difficult healing spell, but this month was different. Remus had taken Wolfsbane potion this month and the Potters were eager to know how his transformation went.
> 
> \---  
> The Potters are eager to know how Wolfsbane impacted Remus during the full moon, and Remus is eager to share what happened. But when James and Lily offer another generous act, Remus feels that he has to put his foot down.

James and Lily stopped by at one in the afternoon the day after the full moon. Normally, they wouldn’t make a visit by unless it was to drop something off or to help with an especially difficult healing spell, but this month was different. Remus had taken Wolfsbane potion this month and the Potters were eager to know how his transformation went.

They arrived exactly at one. They had been waiting all morning to see Remus, but the protocol was that he was usually sleeping or being healed in the morning, so they would wait until the afternoon to drop by.

“You came bearing gifts?” Sirius looked surprised when he opened the front door to find his friends holding a large layer cake. It was covered in fudgey looking chocolate frosting, with purple icing on the top saying, ‘ _Moony’s First Wolfsbane!_ ’ in James’ handwriting

“I was so nervous last night for you two, and I couldn’t sleep so…” Lily shrugged and handed the cake off to James so she could hug Sirius.

“I’m sure Remus will like it if it tastes as good as it looks.” Sirius smiled and ushered them into the house. A fire was burning in the living room, but Sirius continued walking back to the kitchen. The couch that Remus would normally lay on while recovering was noticeably empty.

“Well? How’d it go?” James whispered, unsure if Remus was still sleeping or if he was touchy about the subject.

Sirius just turned with a knowing smile as they walked into the kitchen to find Remus at the table, swirling a spoon in a cup of tea. He looked up when they entered the room, and his eyes brightened considerably when he saw the chocolate cake James was holding.

“Bloody hell, it really worked, didn’t it?” James placed the cake down and pulled a seat up to the table. Sirius moved about the kitchen, getting small plates and forks for the cake and tea ready for their guests.

“Better than I expected.” Remus smiled, but there was a hint of sadness on his face. Remus knew this would be a one time event, and he almost regretted now having the experience of what an easy full moon could be like. “What is this?” His eyes glanced at the cake, clearly interested in it.

“I was nervous, so I made it,” Lily sputtered before moving on to inquire about the night. “Tell us what happened. Did you transform? Did you hurt yourself at all?”

“Yesterday hurt as usual with pre-moon growing pains and whatnot, but after the last dose I became tired,” Remus recounted.

“He was sleepy, like Binn’s Friday afternoon class type of sleepy. He barely made it to the barn,” Sirius interjected, pouring hot water into tea cups.

“You still went to the barn…” James asked, his head cocked in confusion.

“Just to be safe. We weren’t sure what would happen,” Sirius answered. He began passing out the tea and other utensils.

“And so after we got to the barn and locked up, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until I transformed. It still hurt, of course, but after I was transformed I just remember going back to sleep.” He looked up to Sirius to confirm his story, and Sirius nodded in agreement.

“Wait, so you remember what happened?” James looked genuinely shocked. His eyes were wide behind his round glasses.

“Mhmm,” Remus replied, nodding. He took a sip of his tea and thanked Sirius when he received the first piece of cake.

“Do you think transforming in the house would be possible? Do you think you would pose a danger to anyone?” Lily asked.

“I’m not sure.” Remus dipped his fork into the frosting of his cake and tasted it, savoring the sweet chocolate. “It doesn’t matter much, though. Not really a practical purchase every month, is it?”

James opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Remus.

“Lily, this is lovely by the way.” Remus pointed at the cake with his fork. Sirius finally took a seat at the table, content that everyone had tea and a slice of cake in front of them.

Lily turned to James and gave him a concerned look. “Erm, thanks, Remus.” She then brought her gaze back to him. “So, listen, we –” she began, but was cut off by her husband.

“We’re really happy that the potion worked out, and Lily and I were thinking that if it was successful – which it sounds like it was – we could possibly fund its purchase for the time being.” James finished his proposition with it sounding more like a question than a proposal. 

Sirius’ eyes darted from Remus to James to Lily, clearly nervous that Remus might react similarly to the week before at the pub.

“No, no, that’s not necessary,” Remus replied. He was looking down at his cake as he used his fork to cut off another bite and then attempted to pick up some crumbs on the plate with the frosting. His voice was even as he spoke and he sounded sure of himself. He couldn’t expect his friends to waste their money away on him, especially when the hefty expense occurred every month. James and Lily had shown their loyalty to Remus in their close friendship with him for years. How could he possibly take any thing else they tried to offer him when he gave them so little in return?

“James and I were talking about it over the past week, and well, the way we see it, it could be like an investment.” Lily looked to Remus and Sirius to make sure they were following her logic. Remus put down his fork. “We could fund the potion for a period of time – three months, six months, a year, whatever – until you get on your feet with a good job. A good job that you could handle because of the potion. And then once you’re stable, you could start paying part way and maybe eventually you could even afford it completely on your own.”

“We’re offering because we know it would be difficult for you to get to the point at which you can fully pay it yourself, and we just want to give you the opportunity to get to that stable point,” James said.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Remus mulled over his response. He knew he couldn’t accept their offer, he just had to explain why in a way that they would understand.

“It’s generous of you to offer, but I couldn’t…” He swallowed and looked down at the cake, which only made him feel worse, as the thought of Lily worry-baking him his favorite cake was heartbreaking. “It would be an investment that wouldn’t provide you anything in return. There’s nothing I can offer you that would be,” he struggled to find the words, “ _worth_  that kind of money.”

They looked truly shocked, even taken aback, at his statement.

“Remus, what are you talking about? You’re one of our closest friends!” Lily responded.

“Your stability and happiness is worth more than the couple hundred galleons we would spend on Wolfsbane!” James blurted out. 

Remus just shook his head. “No, I just couldn’t.”

“Look at yourself. Don’t you feel better?” At this point, James was getting frustrated. His brows were furrowed and his lips were thin as he spoke. “We want you to feel this way. And  _we know_  you wish it could be this way all the time, and the option is finally here, and we want you to take advantage of it!”

Remus didn’t say anything. He would look like a stubborn arsehole if he did, but he still felt the same. He didn’t want to take their offer. So instead, he remained quiet. He lifted his teacup and took a sip, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

“Moony,” Sirius finally spoke softly. 

Remus instantly locked eyes with the man who had been surprisingly quiet during the exchange. 

“What if you started off paying part way? And over time you can contribute more, and then when you’re finally on your feet you could pay them back.”

“Sirius, we wouldn’t expect –” James began, but a stern glare from Sirius shut him up.

“If I could pay you back at some point…” Remus nodded, slowly looking up at the Potters. That would be fair, wouldn’t it? To pay them back financially. Of course, it would depend on him becoming wealthy enough to be able to afford paying them back, but Lily was right in saying that he was more likely to get a good job if he could take the potion regularly.

A smile began to grow on Lily’s face as she reached over to squeeze Remus’ hand. “We really want this for you.”

“I know.” Remus met Lily’s gaze and attempted a smile.

“And you know what else I personally want?” James interjected.

“What?” the three responded in unison.

“I want to eat the cake my wife spent all night baking without talking about finances.”

Each person broke a smile at James’ comment and with that, the group was done talking about any heavy topics. They wanted to celebrate the good news, both of the last full moon and the ones still to come.

While Remus was still a bit uneasy about the prospect of the Potters spending so much on him, he felt better having negotiated an agreement. Perhaps the potion wasn’t perfect. He still felt the effects of the transformation, and the taste of the brew was awful, but it certainly leant him some hope for the future. 

“Now tell me, Lupin,” James continued very seriously, “what did your werewolf mind dream about as you slept?”


End file.
